Heater



p 6, 1939. F. c. WILLIAMS 2,174,251

HEATER Filed April 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Fra mcms C.w\LLIAMS ATTORNEY.

Sept. 26, 1939. F. c. WILLIAMS 2,174,251

HEATER Filed April 23, 1937 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 E1 INVENTOR.

Ffimucvs C. W lLLmr-ls ATTORNEY.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 HEATER F. C. WILLIAMS Filed April 23, 1937 mmmm Sept.26, 1939.

INVENTOR. FRANCS C. UJmuAms Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNIT D STATES PATENTOFFICE HEATER Francis 0. Williams, Dearb'orn, Mich. Application April23, 1937, Serial No. 138,606

The present invention relates to heatin'g appliances or moreparticularly to" that typeof furnace commonly known asa salamanderwherein the products of combustion are circulated directly throughoutthe area to be heated;

It is an object of the presentinvention to provide' a heating'unit forheating large areas rapidly and with relatively low consumption ofinexpensive fuel.

10 A further object ofthe invention is the provision of a heating unitin which the products of combustion of the fuel are circulatedthroughout the area to be heated but in which pure air is mixed withsaid products of combustion in such proportions that the deleteriousconstitu ents'thereof such; for example, as carbon monoxide will bepresentonly in such small amounts as will be perfectly harmlessr Afurther object of the invention is theprovi- 20 sion in a device of thischaracter of means for regulating the proportion of pureair' circulatedand the'rate of consumption of fuel and'hencethe rate of heat output. I

A still further object of the invention is thepro-' 25 vision of meansfor so circulating the air that is to be mixed with the outgoingproducts of combustion as to cause a preheatingthereof and at the sametime a coolingof thoseportions of the unit which might otherwise bedamaged 30 by the excessive heat resulting from consumption of fueltherein. 1

One form of my invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawings anddescribed in detail in the following specification wherein fur- 35 therof its objects and advantages are made apparent.

In the drawings: 7 Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a heatingunit embodying my invention,

40 Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on'the' line 11-- II of Fig. 1, V

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on the line III-J11 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken 45 on line IV-IV of Fig.3, and

Fig. 5 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 3 and illustrating amodified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

50 the invention is illustrated as comprising a rectangular metalhousing generally indicated at H), the walls of which may be formedabout any suitable framing structure or if desired may be formed ofsufficiently rigid material to support 55 themselves, The housing llT'may be supported upon a hollow metallic base II which forms an air spacesufficient to provide an insulation that will pr'event'damage to a floorofwood or other inflammable composition. Centrally within the housing Iis a vertically extending fuel magazine IZ'adjacent the lower end ofwhich is a' grate comprising grate bars 13 supported at their oppositeends by trunnions 14; the rear trunnions of the grate bars l3 extendthrough the back wall of the magazine l2 behind which wall they 1 areprovided with intermeshing. gears I5. These trunnions are furtherextended through the back walls where the outer ends of one or more ofthem may be squared, as shown, for the reception of'a removable wrenchwhich may be em- 1.

ployed. to oscillate the grate bars thus agitating the materialsupportedby them and causing the residual products of combustion to fallbetween them to the bottom of the magazine.

Approximately centrally of the housing and 0 horizontally disposedforwardly and on two sides of the magazine I2 is a partition IS. Theupper compartment formed by the partition 16 com municates by means ofan opening ll (see Figs.

2 and l) with a blower unit comprising a housmg IS, a motor l9, androtor ZUsupported and driven by said motor. The rotor 20 when driven bythe motor draws air through an intake 2| and expels it through theopening H. The greater portion of the air thus put into'circulation bythe blower is caused to pass around the upper end of the magazine l2above the partition l6 and'is then forced downwardlywhere it passesforwardly on both sides of the lower end of" the magazine and ispermitted to escape through an outlet 24" provided for this purpose atthe forward face of the housing.

In order to provide air in any desired quan tity to support and regulatecombustion of fuel in the magazine l2 a hinged damper 25 is arrangedrearwardly of the fuel magazine and in a position to intercept the manorair from the blower and direct a portion thereof downwardly through agrill 26 and through a suitable opening 21 in the lower-most portion ofthe rear wall of the fuel magazine so that it may pass upwardly betweenthe bars of the grate and out through the opening 24. Ascreen 28 ispreferably provided to filter the products of combustion thus" passingthrough the opening 24 to prevent burning embers or the like frompassing into the area to be heated. The damper 25 is provided with anoperating lever 29 on a shaft 30 which extends through the housing andcarries a crank arm 31' at its inner end connected by a link 32 with thedamper, so that upon rotation of the lever 29 the damper may be adjustedand the quantity of air deflected thereby to pass directly through thefuel magazine may be varied.

The upper portion of the rear wall of the fuel magazine may be providedwith an air inlet in the form of a plurality of perforations such asshown at 33 in Fig. 4. The air intake is preferably arranged directly inline with the blast of air entering the housing I! so that a small portion of the air will pass into the upper end of the fuel magazine andcreate a pressure therein sufiicient to drive downwardly any fumes thatmay have a tendency to rise causing these fumes to remain in the area ofgreatest heat until complete combustion has occurred and they pass outthrough the opening 24 in front of the housing.

The fuel magazine extends upwardly through the top of the housing and isprovided at its.

above the grate is preferably surrounded by refractory tile as indicatedat 39 to prevent unnecessary radiation of heat and to serve as aninsula-- tion and protector for other'portions of the unit.

As a further precaution against radiation of heat causing the side wallsof the housing to become overheated and thereby Warped or discolored itis desirable that bafiies 40 be provided to divide the compartment belowthe horizontal partition [6 into horizontally extending chan nels thuspermitting free passage of air from the rear to the forward end of thiscompartment and preventing undue radiation of heat to the outer walls ofthe housing.

Curved plates as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 may also be. provided atthe forward corners to direct the air centrally of the forward end ofthe housing so that it will pass freely through the opening 24. Tooperate the heating unit a fuel such, for example, as coke is stacked inthe magazine until it is substantially full and the fuel is caused toburn at the bottom of the stack adjacent the grate l3. To'obtaincombustion of the fuel at this point a wood fire is first started on thegrate with the cover of the magazine removed and a small covering ofcoke is placed over the wood fire until the coke is well caught. At thistime the blower which may be used to incite ready combustion of the woodand coke is cut'oif, the magazine stacked with coke and the coversecurely clamped in position.

The air forced through the openings 33 in the upper portion of themagazine and the cool air circulated about the exterior thereof maintainthe temperature of the coke in the upper portion below the point ofcombustion and as that portion being burned on the grate deterioratesand gives way the stack in the magazine moves downwardly under the forceof gravity providing an automatic feed of fuel to the area ofcombustion.

The blower draws in fresh air usually from within the building in whichthe unit is operating but if the building is relatively small orcomparatively air tight an extension may be placed over the blower inletand led to the exterior of the building to obtain fresh air. The greaterportion of the air passes around the magazine as has been describedwhile that portion necessary to produce the desired amount of heat andthe desired rate of fuel combustion is directed into the fuel magazineby the means of the adjustable damper 25. The air circulating about themagazine then passes downwardly and forwardly below the horizontalpartition l6 and is forcibly discharged through the opening 24 in frontof the housing not only mixing with and carrying with it the products ofcombustion from the fuel magazine but causing somewhat of a Venturiaction thus forcibly expelling the heated fumes from the magazine andpreventing undue concentration of heat and consequent radiation whichwould have a destructive effect upon the unit itself.

A heating unit thus constructed is capable of rapid and highly efficientheating of large areas as'an inexpensive fuel may be burned at anydesired rate and with substantially one hundred per cent of efficiencyas practically all of the heat is forcibly directed over the requiredarea. Owing to the large quantity of fresh air continually mixed withthe product of combustion from the fuel magazine the proportion ofnoxious gases in the output of the unit is so small as to be negligible.However, if it is desired to heat relatively small enclosed areas wherethe presence of even a small percentage of carbon monoxide or othernoxious gases would be undesirable, the forward opening of thecombustion magazine may communicate with a radiator such as isillustrated at 42 in the modification shown in Fig. 5, and this radiatormay comprise vertically spaced tubes 43 positioned in front of theoutlet opening of the unit so that the products of combustion may becarried througlr-these tubes to a suitable fiue and directed to the openatmosphere. The air circulated about the magazine will pass over andbetween the radiator tubes 43 thus absorbing their heat without mixingwith the undesirable products of combustion.

Heating unitsof this character may be conveniently mounted upon trucksso that they are readily portable or may be provided with large eyebolts permitting them to be conveniently moved about by a crane and arethus well adapted to use in heating portions of large plants where menare at work to provide comfort for the workers and in many instances tomaintain special materials in workable condition.

Heating units constructed in accordance with my invention are alsosuitable for warming up internal combustion engines as well as othermachinery where a moderate or high temperature is necessary to createfavorable operating condition.

While a preferred embodiment of my invention has beenillustrated anddescribed, it is, of course, to be understood that various changes maybe resorted to in the construction and arrangement of its several partswithin the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

l. A direct heat furnace comprising a rectangular housing, a fuelmagazine arranged centrally and vertically within the housing, agenerally horizontal partition in front of and on two sides of the fuelmagazine dividing the housing into an upper and a lower compartment,said housing having a forward opening in communication With the lowercompartment and an opening from said lower compartment into thecombustion chamber of the fuel magazine, a blower carried at the rear ofthe housing to force air into the upper compartment whereby air will becirculated around the upper end of the magazine then downwardly andforwardly in the lower compartment to pass outwardly through the openingin the housing an adjustable damper to intercept the air entering thehousing, means to direct the air deflected by the damper into the lowerend of the fuel magazine, and means for permitting a portion of the airentering the housing to enter the upper end of the fuel magazine.

2. In a heater, a housing; a plurality of plates in said housingattached to the inner walls thereof and cooperating with each other toclose a fuel magazine, said plates dividing the space between thehousing and fuel magazine into upper and lower compartments, there beingan opening in the housing into the lower compartment and an opening fromsaid lower compartment into the combustion chamber of the fuel magazine;an air blower carried by the housing to force air into the uppercompartment whereby said air will be circulated around the outside ofthe upper end of the fuel magazine, then downwardly into the lowercompartment; an adjustable damper to intercept the air entering thehousing; means to direct the air deflected by the damper into the lowerend of the fuel magazine; and means for b-y-passing a portion of the airentering the housing into the upper end of the fuel magazine to create apressure therein sufiicient to force the still combustible components ofthe products of combustion into contact with the furnace to cause theburning thereof.

FRANCIS C. WILLIAMS.

